The illegal immigrants living in Houston carried out brutal murders with machetes, baseball bats and their bare hands, according to the feds.
HOUSTON — Three high-ranking members of one of the most violent gangs in the world have pleaded guilty to charges from a racketeering conspiracy that included multiple murders, U.S. Attorney Nicholas J. Ganjei announced on Monday.
Walter Antonio Chicas-Garcia, aka Mejia, 28, Wilson Jose Ventura-Mejia, aka Discreto, 29, and Miguel Angel Aguilar-Ochoa, aka Darki, 40, will each be sentenced to 50 years in federal prison.
Marlon Miranda-Moran, aka Chinki, 26, also pleaded guilty, and he faces a 35-year sentence.
The MS-13 gang members carried out brutal murders with machetes, baseball bats and their bare hands, and then sent photos of the victims’ bodies to MS-13 leaders in El Salvador.
“Here, defendants carried out a series of murders – bludgeoning, butchering, and strangling their victims with sadistic glee. These are people without remorse or pity,” Ganjei said.
High-ranking MS-13 leaders based in El Salvador ordered and approved of the murders in the Houston area, sometimes listening by phone as MS-13 members carried out the crimes.
“The defendants committed these unthinkable acts to maintain their status in a gang that spread fear in local neighborhoods and targeted those brave enough to cooperate with law enforcement,” said Acting Assistant Attorney General Matthew R. Galeotti of the Justice Department’s Criminal Division.
Four other gang members – Luis Ernesto Carbajal-Peraza, aka Destino, 33, Edgardo Martinez-Rodriguez, aka Largo, 35, Carlos Alexi Garcia-Gongora, aka Garcia, 27, and Wilman Rivas-Guido, aka Inquieto, 29, also pleaded guilty to the same racketeering conspiracy on Aug. 11.
As part of the plea agreements, their sentences will range from 40 to 50 years.
As part of their plea agreements, all eight admitted to being members of MS-13 and participating in a criminal enterprise responsible for multiple murders, extortion, drug trafficking, robbery and obstruction of justice in and around the Houston area from 2017 through 2018.
“When it comes to eradicating these gangs, the United States cannot afford to either relent or fail. As the facts of this case show, the stakes are too high,” Ganjei said.
The investigation included the FBI, Immigration and Customs Enforcement’s Homeland Security Investigations, police departments in Houston and Galveston, Harris and Liberty County sheriff’s offices, Texas DPS and the U.S. Marshals Service.
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